Journey Through the Balkans

The Balkans is the region in southeast Europe long overshadowed by its western, central, and northern counterparts, but is now emerging as a tourism hotspot.

More than a decade ago, I almost visited this place when my Iberian trip nearly fell through the cracks but got salvaged at the last minute. The Balkans was my second choice that time.

Fast forward 2019 and it was also second on my travel options list. I was traveling solo again that time. My first plan was to visit Machu Picchu and explore Lima, Cusco, Ollataytambo, and the Sacred Valley. But several factors led me to consider my second choice as the better contender.

As much as I would like to behold the magnificent Incan masterpiece and immerse in Peruvian culture, my primary concern was altitude sickness. Though I’ve done mountain treks and stayed at mountain resorts, I wasn’t sure how I would respond to the thin air 3,400 meters above sea level high up in the Andes. I didn’t think it was wise to risk finding out when I was to travel by myself. Besides, my husband would like to see Machu Picchu, too, so it would be best to travel with him and our son at another time. The other reason was that the 2019 Pan-American Games was being held in Lima that summer, which translated to an influx of tourists and more expensive flights and accommodations.

But the real deal breaker was the flight choices presented by the tour company I had contacted. They had a promotion going on that offered a significant discount, but I found out that the included flights were with an airline company that did not have a good track record and had very bad reviews online in every single travel website I checked. The thought of being stranded in a small airport with very few amenities for hours and not being able to get hold of customer agents that mostly speak Spanish did not sound very appealing. Though I learned Spanish at university and can understand it pretty well, my fluency is not at a level that would allow me to negotiate should some dire situation arise in the middle of nowhere. If I had opted for my choice of airline, the tour price would have been twice as expensive.

It seemed like this trip was not meant to be that year, and so, I had to revisit my “twice second-placer and back-up plan,” and the more I looked at it, the more it appeared to be the more sensible choice. And as if by destiny, I chanced upon a tour to the Balkan region at a very enticing discounted rate.

Prior to this trip, I was already familiar with Balkan history, but unlike Western or Central Europe, I had no idea how to navigate the region. It was almost like exploring an uncharted territory. And I hardly knew anyone who had travelled extensively in this part of the world. Like I mentioned, at that time, with perhaps the exception of Croatia (courtesy of the highly popular TV series, Game of Thrones), the Balkan region was still at the cusp of getting some tourist attention.

But tourists or no tourists, this fascinating region has shaped the history of modern Europe. It is where Europe greets the Orient, a territory in which Christians and Muslims have cohabited for centuries building its unique cultural and social fabric. It is the place where important events in history occurred that had become the launching pad of subsequent incidents that made the rest of Europe what it is today – from the splitting of the Roman Empire into two to the rise of the Byzantine Empire; from its many wars and struggles between cultural factions to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, presumptive heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire throne, that sparked the First World War; and from the unification of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, to its break-up into independent republics due to ethnic tensions after Marshal Tito’s death.

And while the Balkans hold such a rich history, it is also blessed with an astonishing geography and still-undiscovered natural beauty. From its magnificent mountains covered in green forests, to its crystal turquoise waters and pristine white beaches, a journey through this region is a delight to the senses.

I was curious to see for myself its undiscovered wonders and learn about its intriguing history and mélange of cultures.

On this trip, I visited Bulgaria and the countries that used to be states of the former Yugoslavia – Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia.